Post-HTG and Apps Re-opening

[wearethecrystalmods]

Good evening everyone! It's been a week since we had our first How's the Game and so we've taken all your feedback to heart and have some things to announce.

First off, here's a list of immediate changes:

• We have a brand new app form! It can be found here.
• Events will now be bimonthly (there will not be one this month)
• The day tags will officially no longer be used
• The temp drop system is no more
• Player locations have been added to the setting page
• Player plots will have to be approved by mods
• Characters can no longer obtain powers if they did not participate in an event
• All powers must now be mod approved. Players also have the option of upgrading a power or receiving an item instead of a new power. We have a whole new system for this which you can read all about here while requests can be made here.
• In addition to the new power system, the following powers are now all freebies to all gems: bubbling, fusion, shapeshifting and a basic starter weapon. This is to give new characters more powers to play with so they're not stuck waiting two months for a second power because of the new event schedule. The discovery of these powers can be done in the character's spare time but must be spaced apart by at least two weeks each.
• More power restrictions established
• As noted on the Powers FAQ page we are asking new characters to no longer come in with their weapons on them and to instead try to incorporate the weapon into their gem weapon power or regain it after an event. For characters currently in game with their weapons you can still keep them: they will not be taken away.
• There is a new tag for "internet" posts. Please use "!forum posts" for these sorts of logs.

In addition we have some other changes that we will be making over the next few weeks:

• A new canon update system
• Updating the settings page with suggested locations (that we will announce later)
• Extending the calendar to three months for easier plotting and planning
• Adding new sample apps
• Going forward with more plots/explorations outside Waverly Bay in the coming months
• General clean up, rewording sections and all that fun stuff

Please excuse our dust and rough edges as we continue to fix things up.

I have a few other announcements to make as well.

First, apps will officially start getting processed again this weekend. So long as you use the new form, you are free to start submitting them now. All current reserves (including the ones from before apps closed) have been extended to the end of the week (so this app cycle), but we know this is a little sudden so if you need another week extension let us know on the reserve post!

Second, if the newly added freebie powers make up a huge chunk of your character's pre-existing power list, we are allowing them one free retcon. If you are unsure if your character qualifies for this please show us their power list and we shall let you know.

And lastly, as both an apology for no event this month and also as a present from us to you for the holiday season all characters in the game will be receiving one free power/upgrade/retcon/small item from home. New characters this month will also be given a choice between a power or an item from home (as upgrades and retcons wouldn't make sense for them). Once again, requests can be made here (just say "holiday claim" or something like that in the event link part)

Whew... that about does it! Thanks for being so awesome and patient these last few weeks guys. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below!

Comments

[torya]

I'm running the downgrade question by the others now so I'll get back to you on that!

re: Sans' magic bones, what kind of effects exactly would you plan on them initially having? Just straight up damage, mirroring the poison/KR effect...?

[geetttdunkedon]

Initial abilities would be moving them around at his will as well as getting them to spawn from nowhere. He'd had to make them with ends tapered to a point for them to do real damage for this first tier, though.

Second upgrade would be the initial punishing damage for even touching them, and third would be the KR effect.

[unit31]

That would be totally fine! We might ask that there be an upper limit on how many bones Sans can summon at once, but that can be properly discussed when you submit your power request.

As for your downgrade, yes, that's perfectly fine too! You're free to go ahead with it.

[geetttdunkedon]

Hmm... Sans has tons of bones in his boss fight, but none of them are onscreen for long. Maybe the number of bones could be upped in the upgrades too.

[unit31]

That'd be totally fine as well! The exact details would be gone over with your power request, but I don't see why that would be a problem at all.